The nurses strikes are to end, it was revealed today (Tuesday).
A ballot of nurses for strikes has failed to reach the legal threshold, the Royal College of Nursing announced.
It said 84% of its members who voted backed more strikes.
But only 43% took part in the ballot, so it failed to reach the legal threshold of 50% required by the 2016 Trade Union Act.
The union said the fight for fair pay was “far from over”.
The strikes began at the end of last year.
The first walkout affecting York Hospital happened in January. More strikes followed, with A&E and intensive care nurses joining the action.
Talking to YorkMix during the dispute, York nurses berated the ‘arrogant’ government and said health care was at risk due to cuts.
In the ballot, more than 100,000 RCN members voted in favour of strike action – around 84% of the total number of people who voted.
The RCN said approximately 140,000 ballot papers needed to be returned in the post to meet the threshold and only 122,000 were received by the closing date of Friday June 23.
In an email to members, RCN general secretary and chief executive Pat Cullen said: “While the vast majority of members who returned their ballot papers voted in favour of strike action, we did not meet the 50% turnout threshold necessary for us to be able to take further strike action.
“While this will be disappointing for many of you, the fight for the fair pay and safe staffing that our profession, our patients, and our NHS deserves, is far from over.
“This week, the Government will say it has a plan for the NHS workforce. I am seeing the Prime Minister this afternoon to hear him out and to ask him the questions you wanted answering on his commitment to nurses and support workers.
“I know staff morale is low and the staffing crisis is set to worsen without immediate action. I will be telling him this today.
“We have started something special – the voice of nursing has never been stronger and we’re going to keep using it.”
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